Skin effects of autoimmune diseases

Medical records that document how much of your body surface — or what percentage of exposed areas — is affected by characteristic lesions are central to this rating. A VA or private examination that measures or estimates the percentage of skin involvement ties directly to each rating level. Records showing what treatments have been prescribed and for how long matter at every level: whether you received only topical creams and ointments, or whether a provider prescribed systemic therapies such as corticosteroids, biologics, retinoids, PUVA, phototherapy, or other immunosuppressive drugs taken orally, by injection, or by another non-skin route.

For the 60% level specifically, treatment records or physician notes confirming that systemic therapy was required on a constant or near-constant basis over the past 12 months are important. For 30%, documentation showing systemic therapy was used for a total of 6 or more weeks — but not constantly — over that same period supports that level. For 10%, records reflecting shorter courses of systemic therapy totaling less than 6 weeks are relevant.

Statements from you or people who know you describing how the skin condition affects your daily life can help give context to the clinical findings, though the percentage of body involvement and the treatment history drive the rating criteria directly.